It's official: Bruce McPherson tops Eric Hammer

SANTA CRUZ -- Four weeks after the last votes were cast, Bruce McPherson was named the winner of the county's 5th District supervisorial seat on Tuesday, besting Eric Hammer by a mere 145 votes.

The razor-thin margin came despite more than 24,000 votes cast in the most hotly contested local race on the Nov. 6 ballot. It pitted McPherson, a prominent local figure and former secretary of state, against Hammer, a local contractor with deep roots in the San Lorenzo Valley.

"I'm humbled and honored to serve my hometown of Santa Cruz as the 5th District supervisor," said McPherson, 68, a former Sentinel editor and 13-year state lawmaker.

County Clerk Gail Pellerin certified the results Tuesday, after tallying thousands of vote-by-mail and provisional ballots across the county. McPherson, along with Supervisor-elect Zach Friend, will be sworn in next month.

McPherson returns to politics five years after leaving Sacramento, this time to serve as a local representative who pitched his state-level connections to voters. Long considered a moderate, in June he ditched his affiliation with the Republican Party, a move that freed up endorsements from prominent Democrats.

But he was barely able to overcome the bulwark Hammer built. A progressive, Hammer won the backing of the state Democratic Party and the Sierra Club, and he plied his connections in the San Lorenzo Valley to nearly pull off a stunner against a better-known candidate.

"It was a great campaign. I think it really brought our community together, and we got the attention of a lot of people," Hammer said, adding that he thought he could make another run at politics in the future.

"Right now I'm going to continue building my business and spending some needed time with my family," he said.

McPherson on Tuesday offered an olive branch to valley voters, saying he intends to represent all district constituents.

"There's no question, and I said this throughout (the campaign), the biggest needs in the 5th District are in the San Lorenzo Valley, and they need to be addressed," McPherson said.

The race was also the most expensive supervisorial contest in county history, with McPherson racking up more than $200,000, about double Hammer's haul. Hammer benefitted from third-party mailers from labor supporters than helped level the playing field, however.

McPherson ended up needing every cent. He praised his campaign staff and volunteers, saying he couldn't have done it without them.

"Mary and I want to say thank you from the bottom of our heart," said McPherson, mentioning his wife.

McPherson also said he's hired Robin Musitelli, a staffer for outgoing Supervisor Ellen Pirie, as his aide. A 5th District resident, Musitelli was also a Sentinel reporter when McPherson was editor.

"If anybody tells me that their vote doesn't count, they ought to look at this election," McPherson said.